Artichokes get me excited. I think, "YUM!" when I think of artichokes. Eggplants are not artichokes. When I find eggplants in my produce box, I think, "Hmm. . . what can I do with these?" It's not that I don't like eggplant, but I don't think I've ever thought to myself, "I just have to have an eggplant!"
When eggplant recently appeared in my produce box, I knew I'd have to find something to do with it. Fortunately, I was able to find a recipe for Grilled Eggplant Stack with Summer Squash on the Abundant Harvest Organics website. It was a quite tasty way to use three ingredients that aren't always favorites here: eggplant, bell pepper, and zucchini. (I actually like zucchini quite a bit, but I can grow tired of it by the end of the season.)
I think a couple of changes would make it even better. Here is my improved recipe:
Grilled Eggplant Stack with Summer Squash
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1-2 zucchini, sliced length-wise
1-2 yellow summer squash, sliced length-wise
1-2 bell peppers, quartered
1-2 large tomatoes, sliced
salt & pepper
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 T. brown sugar
olive oil
fresh mozzarella, sliced
fresh basil, chopped
fresh oregano, chopped
Heat grill. Place eggplant slices in colander and sprinkle with salt. Toss well and let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry.
Combine vinegars and sugar, bring to a boil, and simmer until reduced a bit.
Slice zucchini and yellow squash length-wise. (Don't cut wedges; you want the vegetables to stack flat.) Quarter the peppers, then flatten them. Brush the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables for 8 minutes (or until tender), turning once.
To assemble, stack one eggplant slice, one bell pepper piece, one zucchini slice, one yellow squash slice, one tomato slice, and one slice of mozzarella. Sprinkle on the chopped fresh basil and oregano, then drizzle with the vinegar reduction. Repeat.
Do you have any favorite recipes to use up "undesirable" vegetables?
Thanks for healthy foods!
When eggplant recently appeared in my produce box, I knew I'd have to find something to do with it. Fortunately, I was able to find a recipe for Grilled Eggplant Stack with Summer Squash on the Abundant Harvest Organics website. It was a quite tasty way to use three ingredients that aren't always favorites here: eggplant, bell pepper, and zucchini. (I actually like zucchini quite a bit, but I can grow tired of it by the end of the season.)
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| This is what the original recipe--with cheddar substituted for mozzarella--looks like. |
Grilled Eggplant Stack with Summer Squash
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1-2 zucchini, sliced length-wise
1-2 yellow summer squash, sliced length-wise
1-2 bell peppers, quartered
1-2 large tomatoes, sliced
salt & pepper
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 T. brown sugar
olive oil
fresh mozzarella, sliced
fresh basil, chopped
fresh oregano, chopped
Heat grill. Place eggplant slices in colander and sprinkle with salt. Toss well and let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse and dry.
Combine vinegars and sugar, bring to a boil, and simmer until reduced a bit.
Slice zucchini and yellow squash length-wise. (Don't cut wedges; you want the vegetables to stack flat.) Quarter the peppers, then flatten them. Brush the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables for 8 minutes (or until tender), turning once.
To assemble, stack one eggplant slice, one bell pepper piece, one zucchini slice, one yellow squash slice, one tomato slice, and one slice of mozzarella. Sprinkle on the chopped fresh basil and oregano, then drizzle with the vinegar reduction. Repeat.
Do you have any favorite recipes to use up "undesirable" vegetables?
Thanks for healthy foods!
Yum! Looks amazing. Seriously good. I feel a bit of regret over my dinner choice now.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds delicious. I will send it off to one of my teacher friends who also got egg plant in her box and didn't know what to do with it!
ReplyDeleteI don't purchase eggplant, but I do like it sliced, dipped in a beaten egg and then in bread crumbs and lightly fried. It's tasty.
ReplyDelete